


...as an apology

by BriMac0518



Series: The Arcana - 50 Kisses [26]
Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/M, Gender-Neutral Apprentice (The Arcana), M/M, Other, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-29
Updated: 2019-11-29
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:15:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21609670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BriMac0518/pseuds/BriMac0518
Summary: Apparently, the Consul was just full of surprises.
Relationships: Apprentice/Valerius (The Arcana), Valerius (The Arcana)/Reader, Valerius (The Arcana)/You
Series: The Arcana - 50 Kisses [26]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1531607
Comments: 4
Kudos: 134





	...as an apology

**Author's Note:**

> Back again after my little holiday break with my first ever work featuring Valerius. Hope you guys like it and that you had a nice Thanksgiving (or Thursday if you don't celebrate Thanksgiving). Let me know what you think!
> 
> PLEASE NOTE: Do not repost my work anywhere. I do not give my permission.

Meeting the courtiers was rather eye opening all things considered. They were all suspicious as hell, some of them downright creepy. Yet one of them stood out in your mind above all the rest. The one named Valerius. The Consul. He'd been rude. Dismissive. He clearly didn't think much of you in the slightest and it irritated you for some reason.

Why care what he thought? It shouldn't matter what some stuck up courtier thought of you, after all. You'd only just met the man and he was nothing to you. In the grand scheme of things, Valerius didn't matter outside of being a witness on the night of Count Lucio's murder. He'd apprehended Julian Devorak in Lucio's wing of the palace, claiming the doctor had been fleeing the scene of the crime.

You'd have to talk to him again eventually to ask further questions about what he saw that night, but you weren't looking forward to the prospect in the slightest after your first encounter with the Consul. You didn't really have any reason to believe that his behavior would improve between now and then. Why would it?

As you made your way through the palace to your room several hours after you'd been introduced to the courtiers, you were lost in thought about how to proceed with your investigation to locate Doctor Devorak for Nadia. The trail was over three years old. It would be difficult to find it again, but you had to try. The truth needed to be discovered and brought to light. A man's life depended on it. Your musings were interrupted, however, when you heard a voice call out from behind you.

"Magician." The voice was familiar even after only hearing it for a few minutes and you turned to see the Consul himself approaching you. You resisted the urge to cringe, wondering what the man wanted of you.

"Yes?" You kept your tone polite, but decided you certainly weren't going to sit there and take it if he tried to be a dick to you like he had before.

"Might I have a moment of your time?" Valerius stopped before you, brow arched. He managed to make even a simple gesture like that seem haughty.

"I was just going back to my room. Do you need something, Consul?" The sooner the conversation was over with, the better. Then you both could go your separate ways without being subjected to each other's company any longer.

"Yes, actually. I wished to speak to you about earlier," Valerius replied, glancing at the glass of wine cradled in his right hand, ombre hair tucked over his shoulder in a long braid.

"What about it?" Hopefully Valerius would get to the point soon. It had been a long day and you just wanted to go to your room and pass out.

"I wanted to extend an apology to you for my behavior," the Consul said, effectively derailing your train of thought. He what?

"You…do?" You were so articulate that you astounded yourself, really.

"Yes. You are here to do a job and my behavior was unwarranted. My apologies." He rested his free hand over his heart and inclined his head, the long braid shifting as he did so.

"Oh." You managed to shake your head after a moment as the Consul's words sank in. "That's all right. No hard feelings."

Valerius arched a brow, but then he approached you after a moment. His left hand came up to grasp yours, his skin soft and smooth. So warm too. His lips were softer still as they brushed over your knuckles, keen eyes looking up at you through long, dark lashes. He let the gentle kiss linger there on your skin and you felt warmth flooding your cheeks as he finally lifted his head. He released your hand and you found yourself missing the warmth of his.

"My thanks. I do hope we'll encounter each other again in due time," the Consul said. Then he managed a bow, all without spilling a drop of his wine. He took his leave a moment later, his steps quiet as he made his way down the corridor in the opposite direction.

As you watched him go, you found yourself surprised, yet, ironically enough, looking forward to the next time you laid eyes on Consul Valerius.

**Author's Note:**

> Want to get updates on my writing? Come say hi on my social media. I’d love to hear from you! :)
> 
> [Twitter](http://www.twitter.com/BriMac0518)   
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